Abu Mohammed al-Golani: The Man Who Overthrew Assad.

[@elmoktaeb4228]

As a syrian this is such a fever dream. I used to travel to our village which was deep in al nusrs territories. The check points used to ask me to recite quran verses. Didn’t react when i said i couldn’t remember any. Couple of days ago i was in the chirstisn quarter in old Damascus (bab sharqi), at a street alcohol vendor taking a shot. An hts patrol was walking. I jokingly raised the shotglass cheering them. They smiled in ny face and raised victory fingers up and walked off. What the fuck is happening lol. At least so far in Damascus, they aren’t interfering in social issues at all. They actually are guarding Christmas trees and churches after small attacks by foreigner fighters were reported. This is not real life man. Neo-libral jihadis are real wtf is this.

[@elmoktaeb4228]

Honestly tho. Id take god fearing islamists than assad. Assad not only was a butcher, but a failed statesman. The country has not been “at war” for 5 years and assad did nothing to revive the country in anyway. They just got corrupted as ever and introduced shitty conscription laws. Wtf is getting conscripted for 7 years?? No wonder everyone wants to leave the country.

[@tomwalsh96]

The whole world seems to be on your side too, a beautiful thing. Hopefully it continues, from a cinical perspective they might just be "liberal" for the long game of having sanctions lifted etc. But on the other hand maybe they have seen the devastation that factionisation has caused in Libya etc and want a better future. I hope the best for you and your country though!

[@elmoktaeb4228]

@@tomwalsh96let’s be for real tho. If living in syria through the brutal last decade taught me anything, we are sick of being geopolitical pawns. Syrian now are different than 10 years ago, people look past sectarian hatred, they went through so much war no one wants it for any reason. Syria is diverse asf. Sure sunnis are the majority but sunnis in syria are different from sunni in jordan or saudi arabia. They don’t want sharia. We have a ton of ethinc groups. Even if hts is doing this for pr. They can’t afford fucking it up because any implementation if sharia will cause an uproar and another war.

[@elmoktaeb4228]

@@tomwalsh96also on “libya” point. People who say that infuriate me because syria was already worse than libya. 12 mill refugees and 600-800k dead. And half a dozen enclaves of different ruling groups. Make no mistake, we are cautious of hts, but at this point anything is better than assads status quo

[@zoranagavrilovic9403]

Thank you so much for the comment

[@malegria9641]

Update: catholic Christmas has been made a state holiday in Syria.

[@BiggieBigM]

Hopefully the region learns ro love and accept. War sucks lol

[@alkasah4softs129]

True🎉

[@Aka-293]

But why did the Christmas Tree burn?

[@davidw9570]

@@Aka-293 Don't know but they are apparently putting guards around them now.

[@poonoi1968]

@@Aka-293 Christmas tree in Syria? Yeah, just ordered it on Amazon and for good measure had it delivered personally by the Pope himself whom now turns out has a side gig working for Amazon on Wednesdays?🤣2024 is just full of surprises

[@musicvideostranslations6732]

Whether you like him or not, this leader will be remembered in history, just like Che Guevara. Some might even say that Abu Muhammad al-Jolani achieved more, fighting in one of the most violent civil wars in modern history. He faced enemies from every side: ISIS wanted to kill him, the Assad regime and Russia tried to destroy him, and even the United States put a $10 million bounty on his head. On top of that, rival revolutionary groups wanted to overthrow him, and in 2021, betrayals within his own group made his position more dangerous than ever. Yet, against all odds, al-Jolani not only survived but won decisive victories against all his enemies. He didn’t just succeed on the battlefield-he also learned from his struggles and grew stronger. Over time, he gained the respect of many Syrians with his calm approach and fair policies. In a surprising move, he declared his victory without revenge, even pardoning soldiers from the former regime. This is the story of a man who turned overwhelming challenges into triumphs, proving that resilience and strategy can overcome even the toughest of battles، And change is real. But unfortunately, not all stories are perfect. This man's past will continue to haunt him .

[@circleancopan7748]

At least he grew and learnt the hard way. He ain't like Muhammad Omar and his Taliban successors, but a man who really wanted reforms. He ain't even forced women to wear the mandatory niqab, mostly hijab. His government was inclusive, he let the former SAA to surrender peacefully and in exchange, assurance that they're not gonna be harmed. He also reached hands with the real ones who took out Damascus, the Southern Operations Room and the Syrian Free Army. He really wasn't the old JaN leader who wanted radical Islam and radical Shari'a Law. He changed, all those years made him see beyond Islamist ideological extremes.

[@ObeeKnobee]

Thanks I kinda like them now well put story

[@ANAS-ei5fw]

As syrian, That's the same view that I am seeing right now. good luck for Ahmad Alsharaa and to his adminstration

[@ManiaMac1613]

Yeah I have mixed feelings about the man to say the least but I can't deny he's an extraordinarily skilled leader and a tough survivor.

[@nielskorpel8860]

@@ANAS-ei5fw Good luck to all the Syrian people, including Al-Sharaa, with the upcoming challenges in statecraft and the responsibility to make that go well. My fellow westeners should have learned (and hopefully have actually learned) that external intervention will not help any society to think through their challenges and conflicts and societal principles. Any society must do it themselves. Dear Syrians, good luck to you all. May you succeed in whatever way you define. May you at last find a stable inner peace to live together. Greetings from the Netherlands

[@kevindaniel1337]

More Syria content, and I'm here for it.

[@TheArtofFugue]

Well, expect years of it.

[@lexxisful]

Show haven’t even started yet. Buckle up

[@dcviper985]

Seriously. I'm not getting much about Syria in my "legacy" news diet.

[@TomTriyingtothink]

The civil war has been going on for more than half my life. All that time Syria was the place where children died in bombings. Its almost weird to see even a glimmer of hope for Syria

[@gman52712]

Im 34 and remember when Syria was relatively peaceful. When I was closer to your age, the Bush administration was furious with Syria because they facilitated Syrian fighters' travel to Iraq. Then those fighters came home after the Arab spring. Human stupidity has no limits apparently.

[@neofulcrum5013]

I was in middle then high school when this war started. To see it come to an end in real time is kinda surreal. Actual history right in front of you.

[@Zoomer_Analysis]

A glimmer of hope??? A glimmer of hope?? It’s worse then it’s ever been and doesn’t look to get better

[@AL-lh2ht]

@@Zoomer_Analysisyou said without a clue

[@AL-lh2ht]

@@neofulcrum5013it’s not over yet untill the Turks screw off and the Kurds are reunified

[@DasE30Cuz]

It makes perfect logical sense to be wary of him, but I do think he is smart enough to recognize this is a golden opportunity towards a peaceful and prosperous Syria. Which, if looked at selfishly, would probably be in his own best interest. Man I want to believe him so bad. Especially with that closing CNN quote.

[@thecrackin-u8p]

Even a terrorist can change lol ....rare but it happens

[@Raul-q7b]

Just why wouldn't you believe him? Man i never understood why we are this harsh only on these Islamist groups I'm absolutely not trying to defend their ideologies but just saying why can't we give a former member of them another chance.. like must of these people were young and very lost when they joined them and they possibly thought that this is the way of life and this is how they get the answers that they want.. and i know for a fact a lot of them didn't get their hands dirty I don't know maybe I'm being delusional but i want to have hope for him because as a Syrian that's the only thing i've got

[@Water-7814]

He won't be as bad as Assad or Taliban.

[@Water-7814]

​@@Raul-q7bthey are encouraging people to turn in their guns. To them, it sounds like a good thing, but it's a red flag. They need a first and second amendment.

[@kameronjones7139]

​@@Raul-q7b because historically it doesn't end well but gets worse. So far he seems to be doing well in the right direction

[@nlharring]

I hope for peace and prosperity for the people of Syria.

[@angelamonk716]

Question , the Rebels are pushing Islamic Laws? Is that a good thing ?

[@Abeda0007]

​@angelamonk716 for the law and safety yes but for the non Muslims not so much since the Muslim laws only punish people who steal rape kill bully torture or drink alcohol since it's poison to our body and humanity

[@vklnew9824]

You wouldn’t wager your life on it

[@Abeda0007]

​@@vklnew9824what makes think that. Look at the other Muslim countries there is barely any theft

[@4-Methylaminor3x]

Never gonna happen.

[@madcat789]

Simon and editing crew, have a wonderful christmas.

[@louisbabycos106]

Certainly a far better Christmas than Christians living in Syria.

[@madcat789]

@louisbabycos106 How unfortunate for them, helds in the hands of the saracen. I hope they will find some peace this day.

[@aryanbijay3399]

@@louisbabycos106better than living under a chemical warfare using dictator

[@captainhindsight6994]

​@louisbabycos106 early reports are that they're doing OK and they're even receiving protection from the current regime

[@StigmaX]

THANKS YOU TOO LOL BRB BEER SO WASTED LOL

[@JCShadow0202]

“Withdrawn, painfully introverted, but smart and good looking” he’s like the Muslim Ryan Gosling

[@johnkonde1975]

There are plenty of whyte Muslims so Ryan Gosling can be Muslim too

[@SuperCoon88]

@@johnkonde1975 OP said nothing about race or ethnicity.

[@JCShadow0202]

@@SuperCoon88 Exactly, Ryan Gosling isn’t a person, it’s a concept.

[@JCShadow0202]

@@SuperCoon88Exactly, Ryan Gosling isn’t a person, it’s a *concept*

[@طيرانالإمارات.الشركات]

@@johnkonde1975no duh there are plenty of white Muslims… what race do you think the entirety of Syria is? W H I T E. White people are not exclusive to Europe.

[@AliAli-by4rv]

Ahmed Al-Sharaa is currently the safety valve in Syria. If something happens to him, the Islamic factions will start a fierce war against each other and against other sects. As a syrian i tell you

[@007Julie]

I wish you and your country so much peace and prosperity, may your people finally know what is to be free and happy without oppression and fear.

[@stephenjenkins7971]

The man has a problematic past, to be sure. But if he manages to bring peace, then we shouldn't be trying to treat him as a monster. Wait and see, should be the policy with him.

[@AL-lh2ht]

Syria is not unified yet

[@eddyr1041]

Yeah , but his job sound impossible

[@qwerty-cr6po]

@@eddyr1041well even if its impossible he tried. Who are even fit for this job ? Assad ? since the first time assad lead he show incompetence. In fact many baathis party in syria know he was unfit

[@bruderschweigen6889]

"Problematic" yeah that's one way of saying it haha 😂

[@saadkhan5623]

Problematic? How far do you consider a “past”? How about just before he launched the offensive, he was busy violently suppressing protests in his area lol as well as extorting civilians, extra judicial executions, and the torture of civilians, including children in HTS’s more than 70 prisons. Including the famous Okab prison. And now videos of violent protests being suppressed, Syrian civilians being tortured or murdered or sacred sites being desecrated are emerging lol hmmmmmm

[@neofulcrum5013]

What surprises me is that he doesn’t seem to retaliate against Israel. Normally what they did would be considered an affront. But I guess he’s truly trying to maintain the fragile peace in wake of the rebel victory.

[@chriswhite4640]

@@neofulcrum5013 or because he knows Israel will destroy him

[@AL-lh2ht]

Real talk, he’s probably happy all those weapons are gone as he barely had any control over them.

[@yespls6260]

It'd be incredibly foolish of them to retaliate against Israel at this stage.. they are definitely not equipped to take on the IDF-- basically if they tried the IDF would almost completely decimate them like they did to Hezbollah in Lebanon-- and HTS are busy consolidating power in the segment of Syria they now control. Not in their interest right now. It's certainly a very personal issue with Golani since he's from Golan Heights, though..

[@calemorgan3982]

He's a radical Islamist trying to hide as a normal person. If he survives 10+ years in power then we will see his true intentions but I doubt he will survive with a 10million $ bounty on his head for being in ISIS

[@javieru53]

He doesn't want to end up dead on an IDF -or western- airstrike. It serves no purpose. Who remembers al-baghdadi, al-zarqawi or any other?

[@milotura6828]

the guy just made christmas legal.

[@JordanX767]

Even though Christians are already being murdered, churches desecrated and Christmas decorations trashed and set on fire. Also Christians are being threatened and harassed. There are Muslims going around in cars saying to Christians “your time is coming”. I have the sources.

[@Hjernespreng]

Not just that, he declared it a national holiday.

[@milotura6828]

@ lol When a islamist is based: makes another abrahamic religion’s holiday legal

[@ahmadfrhan5265]

And that’s not a good thing am Syrian , the minority card is used by the west and whites to get involved in Syria and subjugate the Sunnis and you are young weeb who seeks western validation we Muslims lost Syria we didn’t win

[@Water-7814]

He knows they need to build together. And his Jihadi mission is over. He kicked the door in on the Assad regime.

[@Skyhulk95]

From a literal terrorist to a “ moderate rebel” it never changes does it

[@galgay1]

Mussolini from communist to a fascist so never underestimate the importance of ambition in shaping ideological identity. Sometimes the ideology is nothing more than a means to the end that end being political power. So although I’m not saying that’s the case I can’t dismiss that golani isn’t willing to moderate his position if it offers the a better opportunity to consolidate control of Syria.

[@prfwrx2497]

Some people had an emo phase. For Ahmed Al-Sharaa, he had a Wahhabi phase. I jest, but that parallel does track. See, 20 years back he's just an angry young man who wanted the Levant to be more free and "righteously governed" - less corrupt essentially. When the Americans invaded Iraq in 2003 to finish what they started in 1991 (and foolishly dragged out for a decade to the detriment of a generation of Iraqi civilians living under the privations of sanctions), Al-Sharaa became convinced that only the Wahhabi coalition nominally led by Al Qaeda could bring change to the Levant. So he signed onto the program. He eventually got deployed to Syria. Around this time he adopted the now well known alias of Al-Jolani But as he got older, he saw firsthand how these Wahhabi orgs were just as corrupt as the incumbent Ba'athists. Then Daesh went full doomsday - so much that everyone in the Wahhabi gang disowned them. But since Daesh was also the most extreme, they got the most recruits to sign up too. That's what begun the hollowing out of Wahhabi armed global Jihadism. By now it's like 2015-16 and Al-Jolani is scheming an exit plan. He'd execute that in 2017 when he managed to turn his faction of militants away from the Wahhabi program and towards a more moderate platform centered at liberating Syria from Ba'athist autocracy and free it from Assad-Russian terror bombings. The Yanks were leery of this shift and decided to keep him as a designated individual for the time being, and HTS caught the same designation by association. That was 2017. Now it's 2024, and safe to say Al-Sharaa has outgrown his angry young Wahhabi radical phase. He's still a revolutionary, sure. But a much more moderated one. Now that he's off the designated persons list, his next challenge is to rebuild Syria, while ridding it of Turkish influence so he can get back to federal unity with the entire realm. He's going to need the Kurds on the program, since that's where the gas fields are. Syria needs that revenue stream to rebuild, and so long as Erdogan is hell bent on genocide of Kurds, Syria won't be at peace just yet. One battle after another. The SNA merely accompanied HTS to Aleppo. Then they went separate ways. HTS and their southern allies took on the Assad regime and liberated Syria. The SNA occupied themselves with killing the Kurds.

[@gman52712]

Words have no meaning because our media is so full of shit. They call murderers terrorists, and terrorists rebels, and so on.

[@badluck5647]

To be fair, he was a very young man when the war started. Nearly two decades of war could make a person a lot less ideological. I doubt he will be anything other than an Islamists who shuns democracy and human rights, but he seems like he is a realist who knows he needs to make concession for his new government to survive.

[@AceofSpades0725]

"The keys to gain power are not always the same as the keys to maintaining power." Being single minded in your convictions and actions is a surefire way to fail the second the situation changes. It's quite rather redundant to be a terrorist when you're in charge of the government.

[@LordKrhiyos]

It’s wise to be skeptical of al-Sharaa, but Syria is a place where transformations can happen. Saul became St. Paul in Damascus. Maybe this one time jihadi grew up and decided to be Syria’s Ataturk, Washington, or Gandhi

[@cdr861532]

My thoughts exactly.

[@newshodgepodge6329]

He's still breathing so he must be doing something right.

[@Eirikhauge91]

CIA - MOSSAD

[@G.A.C_Preserve]

@@Eirikhauge91 the next thing you said that Vietnam was CIA as well and there's no defeats in Nam or something like that

[@newshodgepodge6329]

@@Eirikhauge91 As if anyone is ever truly beyond reproach anymore anyway. I almost hate to paint everyone with the same brush but the end result speaks for itself. Take everything put forth with a grain of salt and you will never be caught off guard.

[@jaff3760]

Pray for the Kurds yall we stuck between all those lunatics

[@elmoktaeb4228]

Kurds are conscripting kids and bringing non syrian kurd fighters into syrian kurd territory to break away. They took up arms against assad an isis. Now that those are gone why do they still want to break away? The new government told them to integrate their forces into the army and promised them autonomy. Syrians don’t want their country partioned. SDF is neither democratic nor Syrian they should just sit down and stop causing mayham.

[@MusabJava]

world is full of lunatics, all we can do is finding compromising grounds to maintain peace.

[@FritzKeithley-nr4pm]

December 24th remarks from an international investigative researcher journalist living in the United states. This is one of the most excellent reports I've seen on this character so thank you very much for all of the details which were covered by some international news agencies but not in the depth did you have. I just wish you would talk a little bit slower because I know you have a time limit with what you're trying to produce but it was a little hard to keep up listening to you at some moments but your report was the most excellent. I live in Ohio in the United States and I thank you sincerely for your journalistic research. I'm a new fan

[@poonoi1968]

And if your wish don't come thru you can always treat yourself to a line of no-no snow before watching. That's how the old fans do it. 🤣

[@shmuckling]

@@poonoi1968 LMAO

[@MO2-Jagg]

If I'm tired, i watch Simon at 75% speed. I've always had a slight problem with the speed of his speech and my ability to process it.

[@korsol]

I watch him at 1.75x

[@saeedm7085]

I am Syrian and I can tell you that we see him so far as liberator however we have an issue with his past because Syrians are absolutely not extremest and you might missed out when he restructured HTS. He included some of the other groups who were fighting the regime that gave him the edge, also when he took power over HTS, he did some amazing job in the North. Honestly i don’t want him to be the president but so far I have nothing to see over him. He stopped the compulsory Service, he protected all the religions. There is no revenge, he allows protesters, we hope that this continue. Thank you for the great video 💚💚

[@crane8819]

"Freedom fighters", or whatever you want to call them, rarely make good leaders but maybe he'll surprise everyone. Or not. He seems to know how to play the long game so anything he does right now probably won't tell us much. Once his power is firmly established and he doesn't need to worry about rival factions we'll find out what kind of leader he'll be.

[@jjanovsky1983]

The new government doesnt need to consist of saints overnight adopting a liberal democracy to still be a major improvement over a regime that murdered hundreds of thousands, tortured many more, used chemical weapons, destroyed the country, and turn half of the population into refugees...

[@C-Farsene_5]

So in short, best case scenario is if Syria just never unites and fully balkanizes instead

[@reheyesd8666]

All dictators are brutal rulers. I just don't believe he is a "good guy". It might not happen right away, everything might be great for now, until the paranoia of ruling slowly affects the mind. Did they betray you or were they incompetent? That turns people rather quails

[@Moes2326]

Merry Christmas to all Christian’s from a Muslim, God bless you all!🙏🏽😊❤️

[@milotura6828]

YEAH lol, Marry christmass!!!

[@jimbochops]

As-salamu alaykum, friend! Thank you! God bless you and your loved ones ❤

[@thecrackin-u8p]

We need PEACE .

[@Crusader-George]

Salam, God's blessings be with you my dear friend 🙏 🌺

[@5zu-der3]

@@thecrackin-u8piraqis and afghanis said the same thing for 20 years, but nobody cared duhhh

[@danieljeftic6181]

For the sake of ALL Syrian people, let's hope, that he will be the person that will transform Syria...... But, transform Syria in the light and the needs and the culture of the Middle East, not in the light how we in the West percive transformation, which is, in our own concepts, that might work in the West, but, do not necessarily work in cultures that are different to ours.......

[@ghiathmajjanne5416]

Exactly!! We've all seen how the "western" solution has worked in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Vietnam. Don't tell Syrians how you want the future of Syria, but rather ask Syrians how they want it and help them achieve it. If you don't like how we want our country to be then don't help but also don't interfere.

[@mohammedalsayed3508]

It's syrian Golan heights, not disputed golan heights

[@ln9296]

what is syria

[@almoghadad856]

It's not disputed or syria it's israel

[@charriot9666]

​@@almoghadad856if it was Germany you'd be whining about Danzig is polish

[@charriot9666]

​@@almoghadad856if it was Germany you'd be whining about Danzig is polish

[@youDontKnowWhatiKnow]

​@@almoghadad856settle down settler. Israel was created by the uk

[@tylerbowen4987]

This was one of my favorite videos you guys have done, so much info in a very digestible way. Thanks for all of your hard work!

[@user-sw3vj7jh4c]

Merry Christmas to the crew and Simon

[@StigmaX]

THANKS YOU TOO LOL BRB BEER SO WASTED LOL

[@aburoach9268]

People can say many things about Jolani, But one thing cannot be denied... Jolani is a skilled Guerilla commander, administrator, politician and a very patient, cunning and pragmatic man The dude has 15 years of jihadist combat experience, 2 of which against US troops and 13 of which as a field commander of a jihadi brigade which he built from scratch, starting with only 6 men IF it's true that he is indeed playing, acting the moderate "good guy" to appease the international community to avoid airstrikes and get rid of economic pressure while secretly in the shadows, fulfilling his Salafist Jihadi ambitions, *Then Jolani is the biggest threat Israel has yet to face*

[@pelinalwhitestrake1176]

Keep the syria related content coming !!!

[@cageybee7221]

obviously Al-Sharaa/Al-Golani is an extremely complicated person, i want to believe that his pragmatism outweighs his fundementalism. there seems to be good signs, i just hope it isn't another taliban situation where they make nice sounding promises and do none of them.

[@Water-7814]

He has some principal. But his group has been hypocritical.

[@Water-7814]

Taliban was convincing the US to leave so they could take over. Rebels tossed out Assad. That's the difference.

[@yazdeeb6660]

@@Water-7814 how did they toss Assad when they marched from Aleppo to Damascus in a week with almost no battles or sieges what? How are you this naive. It is so painfully obvious that all of the parties within Syria (including Assad) have struck a deal.

[@Water-7814]

@@yazdeeb6660 Hez got taken out. Russia is stuck in Ukraine. Golani kicked the door in, then other rebels sprung up out of Al Tanf and out of hibernation. Bashar was reliant on Russia, Iran and Hez, and once that was removed, conscripts who were forced in defected to the rebels side.

[@cageybee7221]

@@yazdeeb6660 Assad does not make deals. he simply lost Iranian and russian backing and his own soldiers defected or were not loyal. that's what over a decade of constant war does to an unpopular regime.

[@CelesteO-h6w]

I love the typewriter title cards

[@bryandowns3938]

The editing crew needs a big Christmas bonus. Such great video making

[@StigmaX]

RIGHT LOL SO WASTED LOL BRB BEER

[@adzwasere5660]

Great Content! Thanks!

[@StarContract]

Can I get some too?

[@nishav101822]

Definitely need a video on the Great Syrian Revolt

[@suleyman8696]

And the Franco Syrian treaty of independence of 1936, and the evacuation day of 1946

[@arvinalz9404]

There is already one, the name's Syrian Warfare!

[@الدكتورالمنصورباذنالله]

we love jolani beceaus he librated us from assad rigem

[@ignitionfrn2223]

1:25 - Chapter 1 - Young rebel 6:35 - Chapter 2 - Leader of nusra 12:40 - Chapter 3 - Split from the jihadis 16:25 - Chapter 4 - King of idlib 25:10 - Chapter 5 - Rain hell on assad

[@johnadams7402]

Merry Christmas Simon and your crew. You guys do great work and it's appreciated.

[@malaakalabri978]

The sensationalism is ridiculous. And the Golan Heights aren’t “disputed”, they’re Syrian territory illegally occupied by Israel. His family was displaced by Israel.

[@loganlove9986]

Doesn’t mean that Israel doesn’t control the Golan Heights de facto. That’s why it’s “disputed”. Doesn’t matter who it nominally belongs to atm if the country said territory belongs to doesn’t control it rn.

[@ifell3]

I'm hoping he is smart, has a big heart for his own country and wants peace.

[@louisbabycos106]

Unfortunately I think it will be Libya 2.0

[@kendrickstreetman3328]

@@louisbabycos106 only time will tell.

[@AL-lh2ht]

@@louisbabycos106you think all middle eastern nations are the same? Those two are very different from each other

[@s.c.1903]

We are already much worse than Libya

[@muhammadsyafiimaarif8653]

​@@AL-lh2htmasalahnya terlalu banyak kepentingan asing di suriah.

[@jakhaughton1800]

The Middle East has been subject to turmoil for thousands of years. This is potentially another chapter but hopefully the Syrian people can get a peaceful existence for as many years as possible.

[@DuckGoat-mr9tu]

Has never been at peace sadly and never will be.

[@milotura6828]

@@DuckGoat-mr9tu it has you guys are just fucking forgetful as fuck

[@AL-lh2ht]

Most of the history of the Middle East was being a vassel of a massive empire. Nation states have never existed in the region, then became a playground for proxy wars to this day. The Middle East is also home to some of the greatest cities and nations in human history. It can get better.

[@milotura6828]

@@AL-lh2ht Yeah most MENA cities are older than when the Europeans started thinking of themselves as French or British etc

[@akeel6328]

Thousands of years? What are you talking about?

[@KlMMl]

The UNHCR reported that 58,000 people have returned to Syria from Lebanon, Turkey, and Jordan following the fall of the Assad regime.

[@Moes2326]

People who hate Islam but don’t know no more than what the media shows you, it is haram (haram is an Islamic/arabic word that means prohibited/illegal against the religion) to not follow the law of the land in which you reside in, or passing through. The only time you can refuse to follow the law of the land, is when thus law of the land goes against the religion, n I mean something very serious that goes totally against the religion, for instance, along the lines of but not just limited to, some law saying Muslims cannot pray anymore, or women cannot cover up at all anymore

[@TesterAnimal1]

😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂 religion is as religion does. Words mean absolutely NOTHING.

[@davidrossa4125]

The Muslims in the West seem to disagree with you.

[@Sanders-vd3tp]

Anybody knows where does the 22:37 "chopping off hands, stoning whomever" quote come from? I read quite a lot about Al-Sharaa since the victory of the revolution but this one was new to me. But that's the most interesting bit. I mean I get that it's not a direct quote but there must be some source, right?

[@chrisoberst3531]

Excellent overview of al-Sharaa's life. Thanks for this.

[@Aria_Athena]

It's not giving the guy a chance, as much as giving the country a chance, and according to my watch, Syria hasn't had one in quite a while.

[@diamondbackgunner335]

This comment may age very poorly, but based on purely what ive seen online, it looks like Syrians will fight to the death not to be in another war. Muslims protecting Christians, Arabs standing with Kurds, pardons given to all but the very worst. Ive never desperately wanted to be right more. Time will tell.

[@Zaid_Okko]

Summary of what is happening in Syria: Whoever rules us... 100% will not be worse than Bashar al-Assad.

[@Hidfhjccbxcbhc]

Enjoyable to watch, Nice and fascinating video, great man Simon thank you very much.

[@THEG4MINGLEGEND]

HOW MANY CHANNELS DOES THIS GUY HAVE

[@chriswhite4640]

Anyone who thinks this guy went from jihadi nut case to a moderate who will liberalise Syria are nuts,even if he has had this transformation the thousands of fighters under him certainly haven’t

[@AL-lh2ht]

You know most of the old factions joined him right?

[@reaperz5677]

He'll be more moderate/less repressive than Assad, at least. Also, it's too soon to tell. What the fighters want won't matter if the people overwhelmingly don't want it - and the people are, generally, completely fucking sick of dictators, Assadist or Islamist.

[@ahmadfrhan5265]

As Syrian brown skinned proudly uncivilized Muslim I am proudly happy that he will not be Modernist because that means he will submit to the white race and I am proudly Islamist a brown skinned and dark Orc who seek the end of elfs ( the west ) by God I mean it

[@Kaiserboo1871]

His most fundamentalist followers left and joined ISIS, leaving him with people that, while Islamist, were notably less radical than ISIS was. I can’t help but think that the rise and fall of ISIS may have had a profound effect on Golani and the Syrian rebels as a whole.

[@chandelier6811]

You sound like a clueless western chauvinist he didn’t join jihadism because he was a nut he joined because his country was being bombed for no reason

[@jim.franklin]

It is difficult for people in the West, and likely many other nations, to understand the tightrope he has had to walk since 2015. That there are hardliners within HTS even he has acknowledged, like all leaders, he got things right, he got things wrong, but a major difference is that when protests rose to a high level, he did not ignore them, instead, he acted decisively to address the concerns of everyday Syrians. I am not suggesting we ignore the past, but we have to recognise that many in the Middle East see western nations perpetrating and supporting terrorism, so rightly or wrongly, are many governments any different? The fact is we must give them breathing space, offer unconditional support and allow their actions to dictate how the future evolves. They cannot and will not get everything right, there will be missed steps, they will make poor decisions, but by giving them support to rebuild, to improve healthcare, justice systems, civil administration and control the disparate interests within Syria, maybe then, just maybe, Syria be a phoenix rising from the ashes of civil conflict and internationally supported oppression to a mentor of how nations in the middle East can truly be - safe, secular, secure, prosperous and democratic. That is truly something to not only wish for, but move heaven and earth to achieve.

[@eetfukouijaaa]

He looks like an Arab Che Guevara. I am happy to see Syria attaining freedom and hope to see them thrive. And hopefully far far before any US imperialist intervention.

[@flacko92]

I thought the same, if he continues doing good for syria I think history will remember him as an arab che guevara

[@Royce16727]

"Stone whomever," 🤣 I love the inflection Simon used here. Great video! I've been following the conflict for years, over a decade actually, and I have to admit that I didn't know nearly this much about Al-Golani, so I appreciate your concise summary. Love the coverage; love the nuance. Please keep it up!

[@sethivaltas619]

Hoping this guy can pave the way for a peaceful Syria, independent from foreign influence. A Syria for syrians, not Iran, Russia, Turkiye or any other power

[@ISLAMMEHMEDOF-jt8iy]

And not for isrHELL

[@StarContract]

"Syria", a European invention (Sykes-Pikot), will break down to its natural state - a collection of rival tribes and factions.

[@anitabeer1426]

I admire this guy as a christian from Australia.

[@yassinkhaldoun1573]

The guy is Brave and honorable something rare in our time. please leave him alone. Leave the syrians decide who governs them. He went to iraq to resist an illegal invasion, that of the US. It is big positive , something to admire. He led the offensive against a terrorist regime that tortured and killed millions and succeeded in that. I think the west should stay the F away from syrian and leave the man lead. He is a true leader and a brave brave man.

[@Makarosc]

We're too busy dealing with Trump rn If he wants to doge an invasion hold an election and declare a secular government religious extremism is poison no matter the faith

[@chrisschaeffer9661]

We will no longer allowing Jijadist Governments. Dream On. Were done with this 7th Century Death Cult.

[@chrisschaeffer9661]

We will no longer allowing Jijadist Governments. Dream On. Were done with this 7th Century Death Cult.

[@AL-lh2ht]

Guy big mad saddam “I mass slaughter civilians for fun” was defeated

[@yespls6260]

Yeah, I'm American and I have to agree.. he seems like a genuine man and I have a good feeling about him. I understand why he went to Iraq to resist the invasion.. and he genuinely does seem to want to allow Syrians of different beliefs to practice what they wish despite his past affiliations. Syrians also should be allowed to choose who leads them after toppling such a monstrous dictator and enduring so much.. I hope Turkey and Israel (and also the US) stop f*cking around in Syria and allow things to settle how they may.

[@ScaryStoriesApproved]

from al-Qaeda fundamentalist to a Muslim brotherhood pragmatist... Neither his opinions nor his goals changed, only his idea of how it would be best to implement them. Muslims love to say that "the patient one will win", well, he is just being patient.

[@abigailkannai484]

+ Taqiyya

[@gloriousblobber9647]

Don't you think we are all living under God and in turn we must all be patient? It's just a synonym of human nature.

[@Narrator_of_Tarikh07]

​@@abigailkannai484 Taqiyya is a Shia concept, Abu Muhammad al-Julani is a Sunni.

[@mentat1341]

Has anyone asked Taylor Swift what she would do?

[@collinb.8542]

Lol

[@onemoresmartone]

Just feeding the algo, don't mind me mate. Great upload. Merry Christmas

[@ddaydrmngrl]

Thanks for that beginning to current description of his path. I want to be hopeful for Syria and its future diplomacy efforts but there's many reasons to be warry instead.

[@user-ov5nd1fb7s]

This is such a loaded statement "there is blood on his hands". How do you participate in a war without killing people? Or are you saying he should not have fought and let Assad stay in power? Somebody else wrote this for you to say but please, read it beforehand.

[@kieronparr3403]

Yeah it felt wrong

[@TheArtofFugue]

He means it as he’s a terrorist. Think buddy.

[@richardhands904]

​@@kieronparr3403your responding to a bot, although I may be responding to a bot

[@BreadanCotter-vb5xd]

How do you know his not the writer?

[@user-ov5nd1fb7s]

@@BreadanCotter-vb5xd because he has said before that people do research and write his stuff. He just presents it.

[@jar3avgamer864]

As a syrain who had 2 uncles fight in the civil (from 2011 to 2018) annd lost an uncle who wasnt fighting i think al jolani should rule we alr saw how good he is firstly freeing syria and secondly his answers to stupid questions like alcohol and to be really honest with yall we want anyone but bashar quite siimple

[@claudettes9697]

“Praiseworthy father of Syria”. That’s a crazy name.

[@johnmcaree7298]

"the lean years of his terrorist start- up" How wonderfully understated.

[@19382q]

How many presidents of yours commited war crimes hahha

[@kaitospin3944]

Correct pronunciation: Al-Sham❌ Ash-Sham✅ Al-Shara❌ Ash-Shara✅

[@anonpsude281]

who cares?

[@theshyboy]

Well, if it's the correct way to say it, why not get this detail right if yer makin a short documentary bout the person? Assuming that this is correct though. ​@anonpsude281

[@magical_blue]

i do ​@anonpsude281

[@kaitospin3944]

@anonpsude281 Whoever cares!

[@poonoi1968]

@anonpsude281 oh oh, I know this one!! kaitospin3944 🤣

[@WIDBAU]

I really do hope he is a fair and moderate leader for Syria. As a nation they have suffered under the Assad regime for decades.

[@graydational]

The Taliban claimed to be "cooperative" too. Pfffffttt!

[@yonizaslavsky4246]

True but though they're brutally domestically they still haven't done any stacks abroad

[@graydational]

@yonizaslavsky4246 I can't think of a single group that has done "stacks" abroad. s/

[@tedcurrently6092]

This guy has just done what was necessary to set himself up to lead his country. He's playing the smart game and it's working out really nice so far.

[@schurfrelay]

If historians will ever write a book about the 20s, I'm sure the term "western wishful thinking" will be used

[@mgk780]

Correction: the alawites are NOT a sect of islam, they have little religious demonstration.

[@MimOzanTamamogullar]

What the heck does that mean?

[@G.A.C_Preserve]

@@MimOzanTamamogullar I don't know, but alawites used to be a branches of Shia islam (a shia uprising happened there or something. i don't remember what exactly)

[@MimOzanTamamogullar]

@@G.A.C_Preserve Alawites are Muslims who think Mohammad's successor should've been the person chosen personally by Mohammad, who is Ali, instead of the people who took power by force. These stuff they say about Alawites are to justify the historic mistreatment and attempts at genocide by Sunnis.

[@clevelandwilliams5922]

Alawite are a branch of Shia Islam in the equivalent as Defenders of Ali. It’s the same as Disciples of Jesus Christ. Shia Islam are Followers and Supporters of Ali. Which is the same as Christian is as a follower of Jesus Christ.

[@Macias78ful]

The war in Ukraine toppled Assad. It also shows that Russia isn't on the same level as the US. The US military is built to handle two wars simultaneously anywhere in the world. It can do this while fighting ISIS in Syria and other groups worldwide. Russia is in a war with its neighbor and still can project the ability to support and protect its ally on the same continent.

[@jesterbeats2898]

Wrong it's like saying I'm fighting my enemies one is far away another is in front of me who are you fighting

[@kameronjones7139]

​@@jesterbeats2898it is pretty objective that it pulled out most of ru forces to fight in urk

[@kameronjones7139]

​@@jesterbeats2898 it literally caused ru to pull out forces from Syria

[@Macias78ful]

@@jesterbeats2898 WTF does that even mean? lol

[@ISLAMMEHMEDOF-jt8iy]

​@@jesterbeats2898what the heck are you talking about?

[@alexcortez8909]

Goes to show how big an impact powerful allies have. Imagine how long ago Assad’s regime would have fallen if it didn’t have Russia.

[@georgedaviladurendal7055]

Looks just like Simon if Simon committed fewer warcrimes and looked different

[@SanelVricic-s6e]

Merry 🎄 Simon wish you good health

[@MuayThai_Apprentice]

His name Golani is pronounced with a J sound. Abu Mohammed Al-Jolani. Jo-lani not Go-lani. Seems like a pretty basic fact you'd know if you watched a three minute aljazeera news clip on him. Not sure how you missed it.

[@mohammedalotaibi5847]

To be fair, golan heights is pronounced with G not J. Given OP is English speaker, makes sense for him to use Golani.

[@MelekMA]

"Golan" heights is pronounced jolan in Arabic. This is the English-friendly version of an Arabic demonym. The words Golan and Golan heights are exonyms. We call it al-Jolan or either Hadhbat-el-Jolan هضبة الجولان with Hadhbat roughly meaning plateau. My family has origins and history there as well.

[@millatiibrahim2416]

Well in arabic the letter is a ج which depending on the dialect you use might be pronounced as a J or a G, classic Quranic arabic is a J for example, and Egyptian dialect is a G

[@MelekMA]

@ In the local Arabic dialect, which is technically the only one you should consider in this context, it is pronounced as a J

[@Kokuraman]

St. Ignatius-"Pray for Syria"! Simon, GBY MAN, you done the best job in helping us understand all this shite going down over there!

[@are_you_f_serious]

He doesn't look like Future, he looks like he will bring back the Middle Age

[@randomaccount1-b2b]

You look like a coward who talks shit about men who went to war for their freedom.

[@omar619kamis]

Well assad made us live in middle ages not this guy😂😂😂 29:58

[@akeel6328]

Middle Ages were pretty good for us. Thanks

[@yutakago1736]

I hope Syria will have 100 years of peace to rebuild itself.

[@markalexander774]

Is he really the man that overthrew Assad? Or was the man that overthrew Assad, Recep Tayyip Erdogan? Al-Golani is the kid that won a pinewood derby race: He gets to stand at the podium and collect the trophy, when everyone knows that it was his dad that actually built the car.

[@poonoi1968]

Nah, what tipped the scale was Greta Thunberg pulling some strings

[@anotherbacklog]

Merry Christmas Syria. Let’s hope this is the first step towards peace.

[@Evil_Incorporate]

So early Assad didn't have time to run away.

[@judyhawkins6584]

That's so interesting about the slow trend towards less draconian governance methods; it has a kind of organic feel to it that seems kind of similar to South Korea's trend away from autocracy and dictatorship towards democracy.

[@EdwardMorgan-gf8bk]

The fact that a man who worked for the very same people that committed the attacks on 9/11 is being celebrated is probably the most disgusting thing I’ve seen this year.

[@Patriot816]

Spot on - just shows you the ugly side of American policies.

[@Sicwitit_Squad]

Yet Israel has been killing kids for more than a year…. Americans🤦🏻

[@aqsaad.ismail]

Spot on mate. He's not even the "man" who toppled assad. It's the face who was selected to represent this narrative

[@jbear1801]

trim the beard put on a suit and all is forgiven. watch him get a seat at the U.N.

[@jamesbuck2378]

Your sentiment is very correct, but we must ask ourselves if pushing away this rare opportunity to stabilise the war torn Syria because of past words is worth it, I think we should think about the poor suffering people of Syria first and not this man personally.

[@xtramail4909]

Wishing for deep peace upon Syria.

[@dr.junior-33]

Fighting American invasion of Iraq is considered terrorism ?! Really ? I would say holding him in abo ghareeb prison is terrorism not talking about the hundred of thousands killed by the invaders

[@twinfeathers]

Congrats on hitting 1,000,000 subscribers!! 🎉

[@braveboi34__27]

Never been this early.

[@mattkelley6267]

Another beautifully crafted piece

[@AllaahuAkbarr]

From river to the sea Palestine 🇵🇸 will be free 🇵🇸. 🇵🇸 Allahu Akbar Allah is the greatest..

[@clevelandwilliams5922]

Really supporting that rubbish. You’ll be very disappointed to find that you’ll be made mince meat of you dare to even think or enforce that idea. Learn to coexist not your supremacist ideology.

[@DanKu-f4d]

please talk about the Kurds. They are being bombarded by Turkey everyday. Their situation is worse than Palestinians.

[@MimOzanTamamogullar]

Then why don't they just cut ties with the PKK?

[@AdamAdamHDL]

He did nothing... the IDF did all the work. All this guy had to do was walk into Damascus

[@omar619kamis]

Idf ddint do ahit😂😂😂😂

[@AdamAdamHDL]

@omar619kamis They only ground Hezbullah into dust, which was the main force protecting Assad, and pounded Iran to the point where they openly stated they would not continue to support Hezbullah anymore, thus cutting off resources Assad was depending on. The rebels took advantage of this and walked in without any resistance. The IDF literally did all the work.

[@chandelier6811]

IDF was too busy committing a genocide

[@sH-ed5yf]

​@@chandelier6811just dont attack israel. No war against you

[@futurehistory2110]

I say this cautiously but real sustained peace is possible here... There does come a point where after so much war and suffering; seeing the same trends repeat over and over... that from common person to the nation's leader, there's a collective realisation of the value of peace. Time will tell but there are real signs that this could be different and perhaps reflective of how eras in history (i.e. Middle East at war so often) do not last forever; things do change eventually...

[@austinsmith8584]

Al Julani made a huge mistake. If he wanted recognition and aide from the UN he should have said he wanted to destroy Israel. Then every NGO would give him recognition and $upport 😂😂😂

[@elypearl826]

lol. So true

[@chandelier6811]

Cope

[@ibrahim-dm2pm]

in what reality do you live !!!! literally no other country in the world can get away with doing what israel is doing and has done.

[@austinsmith8584]

@ such as what exactly? Turkey occupies N Cyprus, every war has a higher death toll, China put Uyghurs is concentration camps. Not one person in the UN care about any other country but Israel. You don’t have to like any of Israel’s actions but that doesn’t mean you should turn a blind eye to double standards

[@BaneofBots]

Having watched this video now, I am of the opinion that al-Sharaa is a hardened, yet wisened tiger. He had a brutal and savage past, yes, but it looks as if he is going to shed that past, and embrace an enlightened future. Might seem silly, but think of Kratos in the God of War series. When he was young, he was a savage, brutal slaughterer, but in time he softened and became wise. I am hopeful for Syria's future, although I still expect the worst.

[@Kaltagstar96]

It's really insane, considering the jihadist roots of Sharaa and HTS, people are surprisingly optimistic, just shows how bad that Assad was. I just hope that Sharaa is genuine in his promises to improve the country for all Syrians.

[@LAAM619]

I really sat & watched this video all the way thru while on the toilet. Ddnt even realize it till my roomate started pounding on the door 😂. Great video.

[@Yousef-r4t-h1h]

The final part of the video summarizes the scene and presents the conflicting opinions of people, which makes the situation unclear amidst all these possibilities. Positives and negatives, the past, present, and future must be taken into consideration, and matters should be viewed from multiple perspectives. There is no doubt that conflicts persist and may subside, but wars, by their very nature, do not cease except with the end of the world, and they are bound to occur alongside peace. As long as there is good and evil, there will be wars and turmoil.

[@bolshevikproductions]

True Revolutionary

[@JDWanko]

Outstanding work.

[@yepisyeniturkiye]

Great shine job. Rock solid imitation of nuance

[@AllaahuAkbarr]

Fajr Zuhr Asar Maghrib Isha and Witr Salah, Dua Qunoot ♥👌❤ Establish regular Salah and pay ZAKAT...

[@rolliejohnson1000]

At least give the guy a chance an he better have very good security around him

[@ryokkeno]

This could be a huge tipping point for the future of the middle east. If they are successful and become prosperous others will see it, and may decide that the opportunity that Syria has needn't be only something that can happen in Syria.